Malone Practices; Bryant Doubtful for Game

March has been a significant month for the Lakers in recent seasons, signifying only one month to go before they really get serious about their basketball.

And so on the 1st of the month, most of them gathered at the practice gym at Philips Arena, Karl Malone having replaced Kobe Bryant on the floor, Malone recovering from a torn ligament in his right knee and Bryant, who faces a sexual assault charge, in Colorado for pretrial hearings.

These kinds of collisions are routine for the Lakers this season, one spent lurching from delight to darkness, though they’d been a bit short on the delight for some weeks.

Malone strapped on his knee brace and participated in selected drills, on a court and surrounded by teammates, for the first time since Dec. 21.

He is eager to return, at least as much as Gary Payton is to have him.

Payton has predicted Malone’s return Friday night against the Seattle SuperSonics, Malone continued to target Monday night in Utah, and none of it matters unless Dr. Ralph Venuto clears Malone in a Thursday examination.

As for Friday, Malone said, “I don’t know if that’s realistic.”

He would love to play against the Utah Jazz, particularly in Salt Lake City, where his former organization dogged him and Bryant in two skits on Jan. 24.

“We’ll see,” Malone said. “The next three days will tell a lot.”

Bryant probably will not rejoin the team until Wednesday in Houston. He left after Sunday’s easy victory over the New Jersey Nets, telling Coach Phil Jackson on the way out not to expect him tonight.

“He pretty much said it’s going to be very difficult in any circumstances to make it,” Jackson said.

*

Of all the Lakers making sacrifices this season, no one has paid more in minutes and shots than Derek Fisher, whose starting job was taken by Payton.

The likable point guard said he’d largely avoided the news of the weekend, but had a sense that Payton was unhappy and demanding more minutes. Of course, those minutes probably would come out of Fisher’s allotment.

There are two circumstances worth mentioning. Fisher and Payton share the same agent, Aaron Goodwin. And Fisher can opt out of his contract at the end of the season.

If Payton is unhappy and leaves the Lakers, that could mean Fisher would get all those minutes back next season, if he stayed.

Fisher smiled.

“It’s kind of the story of my basketball career in a sense,” he said. “I’ve always been the little guy everybody knows can play. He’s just kind of there.” He admitted that as wild as the season had been, “It’ll be an even crazier summer.”

“Am I OK?” Fisher asked. “Yeah, I think I’ll always be OK.”

*

Jackson and Payton had not spoken about Payton’s concerns as of Monday afternoon, but it did not appear to hinder their work.

As practice began, with some players in the weight room, others on stationary bikes, Shaquille O’Neal seeing how close he could come to Kurt Rambis’ head with a basketball thrown from 40 feet, Jackson and Payton huddled over strategies for tonight’s game.

In Bryant’s absence, Jackson said, Payton would have to assume a greater role.

*

His first season in Los Angeles, fractured and colorful as it has been, has not scared Malone off the Lakers.

“Knowing then what I know now, I’d do it again,” he said. “I’m sure 90% of the people wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t quit on this team.... In spite of everything, we’ve held together.”

*

Jamal Sampson, unable to play since late January because of a sprained right ankle and other ankle and foot complications, said Monday he would consider surgery.

TONIGHT

at Atlanta, 4:30 PST (5:30, delay, Ch. 9)

Site -- Philips Arena.

Radio -- KLAC-AM (570), KWKW-AM (1330).

Records -- Lakers 38-20, Hawks 19-40.

Record vs. Hawks -- 1-0.

Update -- Hawk Coach Terry Stotts holds steady, the longest-tenured coach with his current team in the Eastern Conference, 114 games in. The Lakers have won three of their last four games at Philips Arena. In their 113-67 home victory on Jan. 9, the Lakers held the Hawks to seven points in the first quarter, 28 in the first half. The Hawks have lost five of six, including at home Saturday to the dreadful Orlando Magic. Still, in the last five weeks, they have upset the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons.